How do respiratory infections like COVID and flu affect heart attack risk?
Respiratory infections are indeed known risk factors for heart attack. Research has shown that a respiratory infection can cause a six-fold increase in the risk of heart attack. This happens because infections can trigger inflammation throughout Show Full Answer
How do respiratory infections like COVID and flu affect heart attack risk?
Respiratory infections are indeed known risk factors for heart attack. Research has shown that a respiratory infection can cause a six-fold increase in the risk of heart attack. This happens because infections can trigger inflammation throughout your body, putting extra stress on your heart and blood vessels.
When you're sick with COVID or flu, several things happen that can strain your heart:
- Your body's inflammatory response increases, which can affect blood vessels
- Fever and illness put additional stress on your cardiovascular system
- Infections can make existing heart conditions worse
- Your oxygen levels may drop, making your heart work harder
If you have heart disease, staying up to date on vaccines is crucial to help protect against severe illness. COVID-19 vaccines are especially important since cardiovascular complications can increase your risk of severe COVID-19.
To protect yourself:
- Keep current with recommended vaccines for both COVID and flu
- Take extra precautions during respiratory illness season
- Contact your doctor if you develop symptoms
- Discuss with your healthcare team whether treatments like Paxlovid might be appropriate if you do get sick (though it can interact with some heart medications)
Your heart health makes preventing these infections even more important than it is for the general population.
October 30, 2025
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October 31, 2025
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